Improvement in pianos



UNITED STATES JOHN 7. OTTO, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT lN PIANOS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,558, dated August 28, 1866.

To all whom lt may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN WILLIAM OTTO, of St. Louis, in the county. of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements on the PianoForte; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear and exact description of the construetion and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making' a part of this specification, in which- Figures l and 3 are perspective views. Fig. 2 is a transverse section; and Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views ot' details. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the ordi nary grand piano.

I designate and name the piano with my improvements the American Piano.77

The object of my improvements is increase of sound, reduction of weight and length of the ordinary grand piano, convenient dimensions, durability, a pleasing form, and cheapness of manufacture.

In the construction of my improvements on the piano-forte, I adopt, as far as the relation of the iron frame, wrest-plank, plane ot' stringing, hammer-passage, and sound-board to each other is concerned, that of the ordt nary grand piano; but I change their position from a horizontal to an inclined plane, elevate the wrest-plank, and change the form of the sound-board and case into a parallelogram, the rear part of which rests near the door on casters, while the key-board retains its. position, as represented in the accompanying drawings, where, in Figs. I and 2, A shows the iron frame; B, the wrest-planlr; a and the blue lines,the plane ot'stringing, l), the hammer-passage, and G the sound-board. c, Fig. 2, represents the position of the keys. By reducing the distance between the back end cl and the front d! through this inclined po sition, and by elevating the wrest-plank higher above the key-board, or, which is the same thing', by increasing the angle of inclination wto about fty to sixty degrees, the horizontal distance from the front to rear ot my instrument is contracted to about three to three and a half feet, while its height, by elevating the Wrest-plank about one foot above the keyboard, is increased to about four to four and a half feet.

I have widened the case at the back end, D, to form exactly or nearly a rectangle, B

B B B, Fig. l, in order to do away with the curved sides of the grand piano, Fig. 6, E E, to facilitate manufacture, and to enlarge the sound-board. Owing to its diagonal position in the transverse section ot the piano, Fig. 2, O, the sound-board of my improved piano occupies, colnparatively to the size oi" the whole instrument, a larger area than that ot' any other piano known to me, and therefore (it' well constructed mechanically and according to the laws ot' acoustics) offers the most accommodating' conditions for transmitting the sound ot' the strings. The strings are put obliquely to t-he wrest-plank, in order toallow their vibrating lengths to be made nearly the same as on the grand piano.

The removable earl ca.s"ings.-Fig'. l represents the rear ot' the piano when stripped ot' its end casings, top, and back casing. The ends, Fig. l, F F, are cased with a trame, the apertures or open panels G, Figs. 2 and 3, ot' which may be lilled with tat't'eta, wire-cloth, iligree-work, and such like.

Fig. L', N N N N N, represents a vertical projection, and Fig. 3, F', a perspective view ot' the end casings. These casings are not glued on the case, but arranged so as to he taken off at pleasure. They can easily be detached and replaced without injury, in a usual manner, by means ot' screws, hooks and eyes, buttons, or otherwise. They may be sustained by the legs projecting' about the thickness ofthe casings, Fig. l, e e.

The object ot'these removable end casings'is, first, to facilitate removing the piano through narrow passages by diminishing its weight and size, as also at the same time rendering it less liable to damage; second, to facilitate manufacturing, as these frames may be made and tinished separately from the piano, are easy to handle, and will dispense with many contrivances hitherto used for gluing on the outside covering and veneering, thereby saving much labor and cost; third, to have the sound of the piano pass through the panels G; fourth, to obtain a symmetrical and pleasing form.

The circular openingfon top is for placing a metronome, bust, clock, or some other artistic or useful ornament, which, however, relates rather to the embellishment than the essential qualities.

The baalt` Ortslage-The back casing in the transverse section, Fig. 2, g, of the piano consists of a frame with panels or apertures, coverin g the Whole rear, and is arranged similar to that of the end casings, and for the same purpose, and is also removable, together with the top h, which is joined to it by hinges at i, Fig. 2. The piaiio-legs may be taken off, also, in a usual manner.

Tire key-[id Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of its rear. I have arranged the key-lid k', Figs. 2, 3, and 4, in such a manner that its front always remains visible, Whether the key-board be closed or not. It is fastened on a peculiar kind of joint and slides over blocks l Z, Fig. 4. This joint or hinge consists of the rod m, with crosspieces 'n u iirmly connected on each end. The back ends of these cross-pieces are fastened and can turn on a center pin orjoint, 0, on the head-boards of the action, While thc front cnds,p, are fastened in the same manner on the ends of the lid. By means of pulling or pushing buttons q q, Figs. 3 and 4. in. front of the lid, it may bc moved and slid over thc convex surfaces of the blocks l Z, so that the key-board may be covered and uncovered. The full lines, Fig. 4, show the rear ot' the key-lid and joint when the key-board is closed. The dotted red lines show the same when the keys are uncovered. The edge H, Figs. 3 and 4, is adapted to hold the musicsheets leaning a little backward against the` top of the piano, thereby gaining a substantial device for holding the music, and also saving the Work of making an extra musicdesk and of nishing both sides 0f the lid.

The damper -pnssagcs.-The characteristic feature for the damper movement is the apertures r, Figs. l and 2, iii the sound-board, servin g aspassages for transmitting the movement of the keys c to the dampers fr.

Thesojtpdal-Underneath the rail J, across and above the strings, with a cross-piece at each end, turning on tliecenter pins S S, Fig. l,

small slips of iiidia-rubberor some other veryelastic material, K, Fig. 5, fastened on a little piece of soft felt, L, are attached, so as to project a little.

Fig. 5 shows the natural size of the slips K and felt pieces L and their bearing on the strings y. In order to weaken or soften the sound, the rail J, with the felted slips, will bear on one oi two strings of each note only, thereby stopping their sound, but leaving the untouched strings free to vibrate.

Owing to it-s elastic nature, the projecting parts K of the india rubber will act as springs \and effect an equal beariii g upon all their corresponding strings.

Thefelt pieces, Wh en not employed, are about half an inch above the plane of striii ging, and kept at that distance by means of a spring, 15, Fig. 2, fastened on the bottom of the piano and pressing against the end n of a double lever so much or more as to counterbalance the Weight of the rail J, which presses, by

means of a prop, w, on the other end of the lever.

'As soon as the use of the soft pedal is required, the pedal-foot c, raising rod and leverarm n, will lower lever-arm w, together With the rail J, so far doivn as to give the felt pieces L a sufficient bearing upon the strings to stop their sound; then the movement is checked in a usual manner by some other rest for the rail J to bear upon. Afterreleasing the pedal-foot c the Whole soft-pedal arrangement will resnnie its primary position, as in Fig. 2.

Thel object of this arrangement is effectiveness, durability, easiness of construction and of keeping in order. Being above the strings, it can, in case of necessity, be reached and handled conveniently.

The saba-The set-offs M lM, Fig. 3, on each side ofthe key-board in the outlines of the case, and originating in constructive reasons, are to serve as lainp-holders.

I u'isli to remark that iii the American pia-no the action and damper movement may be constructed without difficulty on principles of known actions and dampers.

4I do not intend to claim, broadly, as my invention, although originated by myself, an inclined sound-board or Stringing, supposing that such is not patentable nor new.

What I now claim as my improvements on the piano-forte in general, as also on the grand piano ii'i particular, and for which I desire to secure Letters Patent, is-

1. The particular manner iii which the case of the piano (incl ndiii g wrest-plank, iron frame, plane of striiigiiig, and sound-board) is iiicliiied, contracted, elevated, and the area of the sound-board enlarged, for the purpose of attaining convenient dimensions, a more eifective soundboard, and other improvements resulting from this transformation, and claimed herein separately, substantially as described.

2. The removable end casings F'F, as described, and for the purposes specified. 3. The removable back casing g, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

4. The key-lid k, its joints n n, and their coniiectiiig-rod in, arranged as described, and for the purposes specified.

5. Apertures r in the sound-board, serving` as passages through which the damper movement is transmitted, as set forth.

6. The soft-pedal arrangement byiiieans of ajointed rail, J, and india-rubber slips K, or its equivalent, snbstaiitially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

7. Set-offs M M on each side of the keyboard, iii the manner set forth and for the purpose specified.

JOHN VILLIAM OTTO.

Witnesses HENRY TORRET, GEO. SOHUDERER. 

